Six times a year, we bring you Pilates-related news, original feature articles, bonus material from the current issue of Pilates Style magazine and more.

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In this issue

Music to Your Ears

You already know that certain songs can make you smile. As it turns out, a well-timed tune can do a whole lot more: Science shows that it can help you exercise better, sleep more soundly and even shed a few pounds. Add the following melodies to your playlist—and get ready to push play on some impressive benefits.

Benefit: Exercise harderPower play: Research published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research showed that athletes who listened to fast or slow motivational songs ran faster than those who tuned into calm music or nothing at all. Download these: “Firework” by Katy Perry; “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye; “We Are the Champions” by Queen

Benefit: Recover fasterPower play: After a tough workout, cue up a mellow playlist. Relaxing tunes can help your heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline faster, and improve your recovery time, according to a study from India’s Narayana Medical College. Download these: “Strawberry Swing” by Coldplay; “By Your Side” by Sade; “Cherry Blossom Girl” by Air

Benefit: Eat less Power play: Save that Beyoncé track for later: Fast-paced tunes encourage you to eat faster, which can translate to bigger servings. In a study from Cornell University, people who listened to soft jazz during a meal consumed 175 fewer calories than those who didn’t.Download these: “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis; “To Another Place,” by Ronda

Benefit: Sleep soundlyPower play: Playing classical music for 45 minutes before bedtime can help you nod off faster and sleep more soundly, according to Hungarian researchers.Download these: “Rhapsody on a Theme of Pagini” by Rachmaninoff; “Claire de Lune” by Debussy; “Moonlight Sonata” by Beethoven

During the summertime, the living’s easy. But when the weather cools and fall rolls around, it can get busy. School starts up, clients return from vacation, and most people kick into a higher gear. How can you keep up? Time-management expert Kathryn McKinnon, founder of McKinnon & Company and a Harvard Business School executive coach, shares practical tips to help you maximize every minute.

Prep the night before. Skip the morning scramble by starting a step ahead. Along with setting out your clothes and packing lunches, spend some time planning out the day ahead. Jot down everything that you want to accomplish, and number them in order of priority. Try to tackle the most important things in the morning, when you’re at your freshest.

Block out some uninterrupted time. When things get hectic, you may feel pulled in multiple directions. Try to carve out a chunk of time to focus on your project of the day; research shows that it takes 25 minutes to return to the task at hand after an interruption. Need to tackle invoices or work on a project? Declare your office a no-entry zone.

Break things up into manageable chunks. Trying to tackle a big project all at once is overwhelming. In fact, people usually can only focus for 20 minutes at a time. A smarter approach: Divvy things up into multiple goals. For example, if you’re trying to organize your entire office, start with your files one day and then tackle your inbox the next.

Rely on your calendar. Whether it’s a coffee with a friend or that Pilates session with your instructor, schedule everything in 15-minute increments. This attention to detail will prevent you from double-booking yourself or spending too much time on one task. At the end of each week, review your calendar to see how you’re spending your time and what you streamline or delegate.

Give yourself some wiggle room. When you’re mapping out your schedule, add in blocks for the unexpected, whether that’s a work emergency or family obligation. That way, a sudden event won’t throw off your entire day. Most of the time, nothing will pop up—and you can use that much-needed free time for yourself (read: Pilates!).

Q: I’m thinking about becoming a Pilates instructor. Do you have any advice on how I can determine if it would be a good fit for me?

A. Congratulations for asking this question. It’s one that I wish more people would ask themselves. Often, people decide to become Pilates instructors without giving it adequate thought and consideration. Teaching is a very challenging profession. Having taught dance, yoga, swimming and gymnastics, and lectured in exercise sciences, I can say that Pilates is one of the most demanding disciplines to teach. There are so many facets, and you will need to adapt to a myriad of different situations.

First and foremost, you need to believe in and be committed to Pilates—not only as a form of exercise, but also as a way of life with far-reaching implications. As such, you’ll need to practice consistently, and integrate Pilates into your life and your lifestyle. (I realize that this may not be everyone’s point of view, but it’s my firm and ardent belief.) You should also want to impact lives and society as a whole for the better, and believe in your heart of hearts that Pilates is an excellent vehicle to do so.

Besides knowing the Pilates repertoire extremely well and being a proficient mover, you need to be well versed in exercise sciences, and understand human movement from a practical and academic viewpoint. Also necessary is a thirst for learning. You should never stop wanting to grow as a Pilates practitioner and as a human being; this will directly impact your teaching.

Having people skills is also important. If given the choice between a Pilates teacher whose strength is either being an excellent mover with great academic qualifications or one who relates to people and communicates well, I’d choose the latter every day of the week (and weekends). Knowledge can be acquired through study, and movement skills can be improved through practice, but knowing how to cue well and communicate with clear intent is a skill learned over a lifetime. Some people seem to have an innate, visceral feel for it. It’s the most fundamental part of being a teacher, yet the one part that can’t be taught. I also believe that it demands an abundance of patience and compassion. Being able to have a positive effect on people is a gift.

The more soul searching you can do now, the better it will be in the long run. You may decide after reading this answer that Pilates is not for you—it’s not for everyone. If this is your decision, I commend you for being honest with yourself and wish you the very best. However, you may be even more excited about embarking on this challenging but greatly rewarding journey. In this case, I welcome you with open arms to a profession that has brought me a lifetime of satisfaction, joy and more blessings than I could ever count.

Rael Isacowitz, MA, has been practicing Pilates for more than 35 years, and is the founder and director of BASI Pilates, a comprehensive Pilates education organization spanning the globe established in 1989. Rael designed the concepts for BASI Systems equipment and was a driving force in founding the company. He also created Pilates Interactive, the one-of-a-kind e-learning software, and has authored two best-selling books, Pilates and Pilates Anatomy (Human Kinetics), the latter co-authored with Karen Clippinger.

Pilates instructor and teacher trainer Maria Leone works with some of the world’s top Olympic and pro athletes. What do they, including snowboarder Louie Vito and surfer Maya Gabeira, have in common? Their emphasis is on keeping up their conditioning while rehabbing from and preventing injury. In the September/October issue of Pilates Style, Leone crafted a Reformer workout featuring moves that can also be adapted to the mat. The following bonus exercise adds a twist to the traditional Hundred for an extra challenge.

Setup:
Lie on your back in the Hundred position, with your legs long and low, feet in Pilates stance (heels together, toes apart) and arms by your sides. Lift your head, neck and the tips of your shoulder blades.

1. Exhale, pulling both knees together toward one shoulder, curling your pelvis off the mat.

Tip:
To help keep your head and shoulders lifted, reach vigorously with both arms.

Modifications: Keep your legs lifted higher in the Hundred position.

Maria Leone, the owner of Bodyline in Beverly Hills, has been teaching Pilates since 1989 and training teachers for almost two decades. She first discovered Pilates at New York University and holds a bachelor’s from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts. Leone established Bodyline in 1994, and in 1999, she became a certifying teacher for the PhysicalMind Institute. She has since joined the faculty of Balanced Body University and continues to train teachers. As of this fall, you will be able to work out with her on Pilates Anytime. For more information, visit www.bodylinela.com.

What’s for supper? We’ve got you covered: These three dishes from Camilla Saulsbury’s 200 Best Sheet Pan Recipes (Robert Rose, 2016) are destined to become your new standbys. Not only are they delicious and nutritious, but they only use one sheet pan to cook, so cleanup is a breeze.

Roast Chicken Quarters with Lemon-Dill Spring VegetablesThis roast chicken dinner is elegant enough for a dinner party, but quick and easy enough for a weeknight.(Serves 4)

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Line a 18-x-13-inch rimmed sheet pan with foil.
2. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the prepared pan, spacing it out evenly. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, gently toss together the onions, carrots, potatoes, radishes, the remaining oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
4. Remove the pan from oven and nestle the vegetables around the chicken pieces. Roast for 20–25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, the chicken skin is crispy and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a chicken thigh registers 165°F.
5. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter or individual plates. Sprinkle the vegetables with dill, lemon zest and lemon juice; toss to coat. Serve with the chicken.

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a 18-x-13-inch rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper.
2. Using a metal spoon, scrape out the seeds and membranes from the squash halves. Score the flesh with a sharp knife. Place the squash, cut side up, on the prepared pan. Brush the cut sides with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes.
3. Remove the pan from oven and place the red pepper alongside the squash. Drizzle pepper with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the rice, pistachios, green onions, cherries, cinnamon, cumin and the remaining oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove the pan from the oven and spoon the rice mixture into the squash cavities. Roast for 15–18 minutes, or until the squash is fork-tender and the stuffing is warmed through.

California Fish Tacos with Cucumber and PineappleYou’d never guess that these tasty tacos are a cinch to prepare. You can use any mild, lean white fish, such as snapper or tilapia, in place of cod.(Serves 4)

1. Preheat the broiler, with the rack set 4–6 inches from the heat source. Line an 18-x-13-inch rimmed sheet pan with foil or parchment paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Place the fish on the prepared pan. Lightly brush both sides of the fish with oil. Sprinkle with the chile powder and salt. Broil for 3 minutes.
3. Open the oven door and scatter the pineapple around the fish. Close the door and broil for 1–3 minutes, or until the fish is opaque and flakes easily. Flake the fish into small pieces.
4. Fill the tortillas with the fish, broiled pineapple and cucumber. Serve with cilantro, lime wedges and guacamole, if desired.